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Megan Wright spent nearly four days searching her home for her missing engagement and wedding
rings.
“I was physically sick over this. I overturned everything in the house that I could think
of looking for them.”
Wright finally found the rings in her closet.
“My four year old daughter had been in there playing dress up. Swiped my rings, probably
tried them on herself and she left them in the toe of my shoe.”
Wright recently had her jewelry appraised, so she was prepared had her rings been gone
for good. If an item is lost, damaged, or stolen, an
appraisal provides a detailed description of the piece.
“When you want to recreate the piece they’ll be enough detail: the stones, the metal, the
weight, the quality of the stones, that you’ll get back exactly what you had. If you have
a vague appraisal then it’s possible you’ll end up with a ring, but it won’t be the
same quality or value you had originally.”
You’ll also need an appraisal if you want your jewelry insured.
“Having your jewelry appraised can make sure you have it valued at the correct amount,
especially with the fluctuation we’ve seen in gold pricing. The price and value of your
jewelry can and does change overtime so you want to be sure you’ve got it insured for
the right amount. If it does end up lost or stolen you get the right return.”
“Gold was three, four hundred dollars an ounce four or five years ago, now it’s twelve-hundred
dollars an ounce.”
Have your items appraised at least every three to four years. Expect to pay anywhere from
25 to 65 dollars per item. “It’s very affordable and creates great
piece of mind in the event that your rings end up in the bottom of your shoe (laughs).”
Angie’s List warns you should choose your appraiser wisely. Check for certification
by a group like the American Gem Society. And steer clear of any appraiser who charges
you a percentage of an item’s appraised value. Appraisals shouldn’t take much more
than a day, so be wary if the appraiser wants to keep your jewelry much longer than that.